of a song
from one of my father's play books came to my mind, and I hummed
them aloud:

A merry heart goes all the day,
A sad tires in a mile a.

About half a mile out of Harley, the road makes a long ascent to
the market town of Much Wenlock. I was pretty warm by the time I
arrived there, and mighty hungry, so I repaired to the inn where my
father was wont to eat on market days, and where I had several
times been with him, and ordered a dinner of bread and cheese and
ale. The innkeeper, Mr. Appleby, was not a little surprised to see
me, and was fairly staggered when I told him I was off to Bristowe
to seek my fortune. To the stay-at-home folk of the countryside
Bristowe was as distant as Brazil, and he would have heard that I
was starting for the ends of the earth with but little more
amazement.

"Betsy," he called through the half-open door into the little
parlor behind, "here be young Master Bold a setting off to
Bristowe."

"Bless us!" cried his wife, bustling out, and bringing with her an
odor of roast meat that somewhat slacked my appetite for bread and
cheese. "Deary me! You doesn't say so now! Well, to be sure! 'Tis a
fearsome long way, by all accounts; but there, you be growed a
great big chap, Master Bold, and I'm sure I wish 'ee good luck.
Come away in, sir, dinner's just off the jack, and me and my man
'ud be main proud if you'd eat a morsel with us afore ye goes."

I was nothing loath, and found the roast of mutton a deal more to
my liking than the frugal fare I had ordered. I was still but
halfway through my second helping when there came through the door
a great clatter of hoofs from the street, and then a loud voice
crying "Appleby! here, sirrah, stir your stumps!" with an oath or
two by way of seasoning.

My host got up in a hurry and ran to the outer door, and I laid
down my knife and fork, and I think my cheeks must have gone a
trifle pale, for Mistress Appleby asked me anxiously what was
amiss. I hastened to reassure her, but begged her to close the door
into the inn place which her husband had left open. She wonderingly
complied, but was enlightened a moment afterwards, when she saw
Dick Cludde swagger in, followed by the two naval captains whom his
lady mother had been entertaining.

"I understand your feeling, sir," said the good wife. "'Tis a sin
and a shame ye lost the farm, which was yours by right; but doan't
'ee let 'em spoil your dinner; I can't abear mutton half, cold."

A mor